A tragic boat mishap in the Gbajibo-Mudi community of Kaiama Local Government Area, Kwara State, has claimed the lives of 37 people, according to reports.
Sources revealed that the boat, which was overloaded with over 100 passengers, capsized on Thursday evening. Although some passengers survived, the death toll remains significant.
The Chairman of Kaiama Local Government, Abubakar Abdullahi, and the Emir of the community, Alhaji Muazu Shehu Omar, are currently at the scene, overseeing rescue and recovery operations.
The ill-fated boat was en route to a community in Niger State when the incident occurred around 6:00 p.m. Most of the passengers were traders heading for business activities in Niger State.
This tragedy echoes a similar incident that took place in Gbajibo-Mudi village on October 5, 2024, during the Islamic Maulid festival. In that disaster, over 200 passengers lost their lives due to overloading, prompting the state government to cover the medical expenses of survivors with N2 million.
Local authorities have urged boat operators to adhere to safety regulations to prevent further occurrences of such devastating accidents.
